Yamaha has been creating sound bars for years now, and they've been
growing increasingly popular in homes where size is a problem.
Apartments and one-bedroom studios haven't been able enjoy true
surround sound due to the inability to shove 5, 6 or more speakers into
their cramped living space. Sound bars have enabled those living places
to enjoy faux surround sound, and these two new ones add even more to
the mix.

The YSP-5100 and YSP-4100 are the company's two newest Digital Sound
Projectors, with each one using just a single speaker but "dozens" of
audio beam drivers. They're designed to sit underneath the front of
flat-panel HDTVs, and they include four 1080p-compatible HDMI inputs,
UniVolume (for keeping the sound of TV programs and commercials and
different sources at the same volume level), and one final kicker:
yAired. This is Yamaha's own wireless technology, which enables iPods
and iPhones to send music to the sound bar without any wires involved.

Unfortunately, neither comes cheap. The 5100 is priced at $2199.95, and the 4100 is priced at 1899.95.

NEW DIGITAL SOUND PROJECTORS INTEGRATE HD AUDIO,

yAIRED WIRELESS iPOD, iPHONE AND SUBWOOFER CONNECTIVITY

—Next Generation of Company’s Market-Leading

Surround Sound Solution Most Versatile, Thinnest Ever—

BUENA PARK, Calif.—Yamaha,
the innovator in home theater and digital audio and video reproduction,
today unveiled the YSP-5100 and YSP-4100, its highly-anticipated next
generation of Digital Sound Projectors. Employing Yamaha’s proprietary
technology, both models deliver true surround sound from a single
speaker by employing dozens of separate audio beam drivers that deliver
center channel sound directly, while sounds from other channels are
heard reflecting off the walls around the listener. These units, which
are ideal for placement beneath the latest flat screen TV models,
provide HD Audio decoding and four 1080p-compatible HDMI inputs along
with proprietary technologies including UniVolume for keeping the sound
of TV programs and commercials and different sources at the same volume
level, and yAired for wireless iPod and iPhone audio playback.

The
YSP-4100 features 40 beam drivers and two woofers, each with dedicated
amplifiers. The YSP-5100 is identical, plus two tweeters with dedicated
amplifiers. Both units bypass the need for a separate receiver or
amplifier, or additional speakers, making them the ideal surround sound
solutions for small spaces or second rooms in multi-zone systems. Both
models, which are significantly thinner than previous Digital Sound
Projector models (3 ½” depth), can be wall-mounted or placed on a shelf
or rack.

The
YSP-4100 and YSP-5100 offer HD Audio decoding (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD
Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS HD High Resolution) to deliver
the best possible sound from Blu-ray disc players and all other digital
sources. Users can also choose from six listening modes (5 BeamPlus2
for 7.1 ch HD Audio, Stereo + 3 BeamPlus2, 5 Beam, Stereo + 3 Beam, 3
Beam and Stereo) to best suit their living spaces and content playing.
Eleven Cinema DSP Modes (3 “movie,” 3 “music” and 5 additional
“entertainment” modes) offer even more options to further maximize the
audio for any entertainment experience.

The
YSP-5100 and YSP-4100 have 1080p-compatible HDMI (4 in/ 1 out) that
enable the connection of multiple HDMI sources and the full enjoyment
of 1080p monitors, Blu-ray disc players and HDTV set top boxes. They
also feature analog to HDMI digital video upconversion that improve
video composite and component signals to HD quality.

Yamaha’s
UniVolume feature maintains a consistent volume level between different
channel, programs, commercials and input sources. For instance, when
watching TV, the volume of commercials will not be louder than the
program being viewed. The same is true when switching sources to watch
a DVD or Blu-ray movie or to listen to music on CD. This is
particularly helpful for late night watching and listening when spikes
in volume can disturb others in the house or apartment building.

Stand-alone
entertainment systems in their own right, both models have an
integrated FM tuner and are fully Sirius Satellite Radio ready,
broadening the user’s listening choices. Yamaha’s yAired technology
allows users to wirelessly play audio from iPods and iPhones via the
YSP-5100 and YSP-4100. By connecting a small transmitter (supplied with
both YSP models) to an iPod or iPhone, users can take out their ear
buds and share their favorite music, video and games with friends. This
solution adds remote control capability to iPhones and iPods so users
maintain direct access to what they want to hear. The yAired connected
iPods/iPhones and YSP-5100/YSP-4100s automatically synchronize for
powering on and off.

In
addition to seamless wireless convenience, yAired technology offers key
advantages over Bluetooth, including superior sound quality viauncompressed linear PCM audio transmission and no audio delay issues when watching video or playing games.Yamaha’s
proprietary Compressed Music Enhancer technology compensates for the
lost detail of audio that is compressed during the “ripping” process to
iPods and MP3 players, recapturing the essence of the original
recording.

Those
opting to add low frequency punch to their systems with optional
subwoofers are able to quickly connect them via a supplied accessory
package (which includes a SWK-W10 wireless subwoofer kit and a YIT-W10
wireless transmitter). Through wireless integration, users have the
freedom to place any model subwoofer anywhere in the room without
unsightly wires getting in the way.

Yamaha’s
exclusive IntelliBeam Automated System Calibration immediately readies
the system to deliver optimum multi-channel sound reproduction with
accurate image location by optimizing the level and frequency response
of each beam. This is achieved via a microphone that monitors and
analyzes a room’s acoustics in less than three minutes.

Both the YSP-5100 and YSP-4100 are Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) compatible.When
either the YSP-5100 or YSP-4100 are connected to CEC-compatible TVs,
they will power on and off together with the TV, and the TV remote can
be used to control the Digital Sound Projector volume. With CEC active,
signals will pass through the YSP-5100 and YSP-4100 even if they are
powered off.

Both
models have RS-232C, IR pass through out and extended IR for custom
installation functions and are sold with preset remote controls.

The
YSP-5100 ($2,199.95 MSRP) and YSP-4100 ($1,899.95 MSRP) will be
available in January. Optional slim, space-saving stands for the new
Digital Sound Projectors include tabletop pedestal (YTS-T500; $349.95
MSRP) and floor stand (YTS-F500; $549.95 MSRP) models which will also
be available in January.